Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-31
WITH CHEEK OF BRASS
THE CANADIAN FISHERMEN FOLLOW
THE GOLDEN RULE,

Revised to Read: do Unto Others as You
Wouldn't Have Them Do to YOU
Stealing the Fish of the Yankees Right
Under Their Noses-Where Is Our Navy?
Notes of the Row
EAsTPoRT, Ne, Jan. 31.-When the sun
was rising Saturday morning large fleet of
Canadian vessels were taking herring in the
| waters OF the Passamaquoddy bay. The news
of the new arrivals soon spread from house
to house, and when the sun was an hour high
the wharves were crowded with an excited
gang of Maine fishermen and their wives and
children. As this is the time of year when
immense schools of herring run in, the citi.
zens saw at once what their Canadian broth
ers were after. One of the boats was hailed
from the shore by one of the angry citizens,
and in reply to his question as to what they
were doing, one Of the Canadians answered:
1--WE are taking Yankee herring-that's
what we are doing" When this informa-
ton was made known to the citizens their in
dignation knew no bounds. Threats Of re-
taliation were rife, and 1t is believed that
had there been any available ordnance in
town the angry citizens would have opened
fire on the insolent Canadians.
As the day advanced news was received
from st. Andrews that the Canadian cruiser
Middleton touched at that port during the
forenoon. Later in the day she was seen
cruising off Eastport, and then the news
spread that the Middleton was there to pre-
vent any American fishermen entering Cana
dian waters to fish. Tho indignant citizens
were told by the Canadian fishermen, who
were within stones throw of the shore, that
the Middleton was there to protect them
against the Yankees. One Of the captains of
he hapless condition of the Eastport fisher
men. He said the Yankees could not modest
him. and he proposed to fish just wherever
1t suited his fancy.
When asked if he did rot know he was
within the line. he said 'Of course I am
aware Of it, When a man can almost stepfrom
his vessel TO the shore. he is pretty sure he is
within the line The herring just now hap
pened to be on this side of Old Passama-
guoddy, and have been for several days
Why shouldn't we coma here and take them?
You Yankees follow the fish into our waters,
and when the cruisers are not around they
dodge inside the dead line and take all the
fish they can get. Why shouldn't we do the
same, especially when there are no cruisers
about to seize our craft We would he more
wary about entering your waters if your
coast was guarded. As it is we would be
considered fools to tie our vessels up to the
wharves simply because the fish happen to b
on the American side Of the bay"
When asked his opinion of the Senator Ell
munds bill he said; ''lf its provisions were
enforced the Canadian government would
have to right about face and adopt differ
ent policy or something would drop hard in
the maritime provinces"
Should the Canadian government continue
its present policy collision the coming sea-
son can hardly be avoided. and after that no
one can tell what the end viii be- The indig-
nInt townspeOple have forwarded a dispatch
stating their grievances to Senator Frye at
Washington